Standing Still
by QueenTyZula
Summary: Things never go as Azula plans, so why expect anything different? As chance brings three "best friends" together again, two have moved on while one is left standing. She was always the lucky one. Tyzula month homage. *Credits to the illustrator of the cover image*
1. Craving

When the Fire Nation's Royal Airship made landfall at dusk on Ember Island, Mai was reminded of her teenaged self with her only two friends and on again, off again boyfriend during their forced vacation. Summer, Agni knows it had been ages ago since the four had been on the same ship, breathing the same air and being as cordial as possible, despite the growing tension between two, royal siblings.

 _"I heard you telling someone you'd be partying from dusk 'til dawn. It's dusk, so we're here"._

 _"Uh, that was just an expression"._

 _"We are the perfect party guests. We arrive right on time because we are very punctual"._

Mai snorted disgustingly through her nose, spewing some of the delicious chai tea she was holding in both palms as she overlooked the twins' tiny, dilapidated beach house. Both twins had left this world within months of the other and due to a quiet pact between the sisters, no one knew whether it was Lo or Li who had passed away first. Their joint head stone even read as Lo and Li without a birth or death date. They were inarguably "ancient".

Fire Lady Mai sighed softly, thinking on the bittersweet memories of her teen years, prompting the handsome, newly appointed admiral to ask on her well-being.

"Should I get more tea fetched, Your Highness?" He asked, removing his helmet before giving a low bow.

Mai shook her head. "No, but Admiral Chan, were you and your family ever compensated for the damage done to your home?"

Admiral Chan raised an eyebrow, then two when he connected the memory. A deep, red blush tinted his carved, matured cheekbones.

"Well, yeah…Your Highness, of course," he answered, not meeting her eyes. "The fire lord promoted me. And after I joined the military, my dad's finally talking to me again. Don't tell anyone please? I kind of tried to forget that night ever happened".

Mai nodded, unable to hold a wicked chuckle. "Your secret's safe with me, Admiral," she said.

"Speaking of, where's your cute friend, nowadays?"

Mai smiled as she thought on the bubbly Ty Lee, following her mother's footsteps very quickly in becoming a wealthy housewife with four children. She was excited to see the former Kyoshi Warrior for a much needed vacation away from needy husbands and kids".

"She'll be meeting us on the island". Mai informed him.

"The fire princess?" Asked Chan, making Mai shake her head violently.

She was used to "The Cute Friend" meaning Ty Lee. Never Azula. Though the Fire Nation's former princess was beyond beautiful, she had an ugly blemish on her track record that she found difficult to conceal as the consequences of her actions revealed slowly a very, unstable, inner monster that Mai always knew was there and Ty Lee tried to ignore for the sake of friendship. After the war's end and various criminal activities that she was never held accountable for, thanks to the perks of royalty, Azula left the Fire Nation by choice years ago and had since performed her greatest feat yet, disappearing off the face of the earth.

Mai had attempted to contact her by messenger hawk about their vacation each year to no avail. Perhaps it was for the best, but deep down in a part of Mai's mind there was a side that wondered if her friend was safe, warm or happy.

"Sorry, I thought you meant Lady Ty Lee," Mai corrected herself.

The admiral nodded. "Yeah, she was a looker too, but the princess was something else. Insane, but…gorgeous". His eyes seemed distant, lost in the waves beneath them as he spoke.

 _Wow, Azula! How do you make people fall head over heels with your insanity?_

"I have not heard from the princess, but…" Mai halted her answer to the admiral when the ship's bridge was lowered unto the land. Standing there, in plain, red clothing sat Princess Azula atop her dragon, Chinatsu, yet wearing the same terrifying look she was known for. Without her armor, the princess could easily be mistaken for a petite, 5'5 commoner in her old red outfit from their last summer vacation, showing off her impressive mid-section that had remained unchanged since she was 14.

Now 22, her eyes were calmer, though still brilliantly gold. Those eyes watched the fire lady descend from the ship with the admiral at her side.

"Well, you are still one for surprises," commented Fire Lady Mai. "I did not expect an answer to my messages after all this time".

The princess gave a curt nod, of course, instead of bowing when the two were face to face on the shore. "I figured the nation was ashes so I used them for Chinatsu's target practice," she smirked, smugly. "Why Ember Island? Pray tell, are you covering an affair?"

Mai rolled her eyes, noticing Admiral Chan's deep, red cheeks.

"Or was it the fire lord and the avatar? They were suspiciously _close_ …"

"Azula," Mai groaned.

"Ooooh, don't tell me, you caught the water peasant fucking Zuzu in the royal gardens? I knew there was something between them!"

"Fuck you, Azula," Mai hissed, very un-fire-ladylike, before clearing her throat. "My husband and I are just fine. Speaking of which, have you found your own?"

Azula shrugged, sliding sideways off her formidable dragon with a hop unto the sand. Chinatsu snorted dark smoke from her nostrils as she laid her head down for Azula to pet her.

"I tried, but my sweetheart got jealous so we used him for target practice as well," she answered, smoothly.

Admiral Chan gave a nervous chuckle before saluting and excusing himself. "Ladies, enjoy your vacation," he nearly squealed as he backpedaled to the ship. "Lady Mai, I will return in a month as discussed".

Mai nodded. Azula continued to pet her dragon, oblivious to the looks of longing over the "one that got away" that the young admiral was giving. The two reformed friends exchanged a quick, though always awkward hug before Azula waved away her pet.

"Do you worry someone will capture her?" Asked Mai in awe as the dragon spiraled into the air before taking off at the speed of Azula's lightning into the distant sunset.

"No," Azula said simply. "Now, what fun festivities do you have planned for us, old buddy, old pal?" She added in a fake, high-pitched tone as they walked the sandy shore towards the bustling beach town. "I'm sure the bar-"

"Yes, and Ty Lee is meeting us there".

Azula's stomped face would have been hilarious if Mai wasn't worried for her friend. In her letters that Azula claimed to not have read, Mai intentionally left out the part about the lost love of Azula's life joining them on their vacation, hoping that she would not regret doing so now.

"Why so quiet, Princess? Surely, your feelings for Ty are gone. She's married".

"I know that. I was there, Mai," Azula snarled.

The little amusement that the fire lady had bursting whatever high bubble Azula was in was gone now. The princess actually looked nervous for one of the few times since Mai had known her.

#

"More! Harder!" Screamed the mixed-bred girl in Azula's ear, her tangled brown braid thumped against the princess's lower back when she reared her head back in pure bliss with each snap of Azula's thrusting hips.

Lines of sweat coated the girl's neck and closed eyelids. Amazed at her stamina, which nearly matched that of her own, Azula controlled her breathing latching her lips unto a pulsing, green vein to suckle as if drawing blood. High pitched gasps were thrilling to hear along with various obscenities as Kori's hips worked her faster. Azula dug her nails into the young woman's sides as she rocked with her, basking in Kori's twisted face of pleasure.

"You want this," The statement crept from her lips and Kori knew it was not a question. "Tell me how badly you want this," commanded the princess, shifting her hips in circular patterns. "Tell me I am the best you've ever had," she added, kneading Kori's breast with one hand, while the other found her swollen flesh between her damp thighs.

"Agni! Yes! Princess, I'm yours!" The girl yelled out in bliss. "All…yours".

Azula smirked, giving her shoulder a lick before lying on her back, knees wide to get a full view of her prey's form from behind. The harness she wore was custom made and very difficult to obtain in the capital, yet here on Ember Island, one's fantasies were merely at the fingertips for the right price. The new harness served the princess well, allowing her to feel the stimulation in tandem with whatever bed partner she chose for the night.

As Kori bounced up and down slowly, the princess bit her lip eying her wet folds with her arms pillowed behind her head. The young rebel knew what she was doing. Azula gave a thrust up just to hear the maddening sound. The stimulation went due south, making a moan slip from her throat.

"I'm…I'm, Oh, Princess, I'm going to…" With a grip of Azula's ankles, Kori gave a cry that brought a sinister smirk on Azula's face before falling forward towards the edge of the bed.

"Mmm…" Azula groaned in her ear. "I'm not done with you, yet".

Rising to her knees, she gripped the cock attached to her harness in her hand. Kori cursed as she was filled again in her spent position, her chest buried into the mattress of the rental home's bed. Azula pulled the woman to her by the hips, not wasting time before beginning again with short thrusts, pulling out completely before diving back in. Kori's octaves increased along with her thrusts until she sounded very close to…to…

Azula shook her head, giving the woman two brutal smacks on the rear in frustration though Kori seemed to enjoy the action. "Oh, that's... it!" Kori was coming apart beneath her, legs trembling while Azula held her up by the hips.

The sweaty session was by far longer than she had anticipated. Of course, it had little to do with the woman she was fucking, but everything to do with the woman she _wanted_ to fuck. Seeing Ty Lee again after the years since she was released to assist the fire lord on their quest to find Ursa had wreaked havoc in her mind. Not even a fifth of fire whiskey could calm her as it normally would. Instead, she called upon the services of the governor of Yu Dao's revolutionist daughter, who happened to be on vacation as well, for a drunken, filthy night that the young woman would cherish forever and Azula would not care to remember.

 _"It is so good to see you again, Princess," greeted a matured Ty Lee that Azula was not used to._

 _Not only had the acrobat changed physically with a more refined body, but she had likewise changed in tone. Instead of pink auras, she was discussing politics and childbirth with Azula and Mai inside Ember Island's Fiery Breath bar. Azula wanted to ravish the acrobat on the table that held their drinks, on the floor, the bar, the beach, her face any and everywhere. She wanted to wake up to the woman's scent and wear it all day. Ty Lee would beg for her skills and twist in whatever position she asked._

 _The third, full bottle of wine was now empty thanks to the princess, at which Mai raised an eyebrow. "Someone's thirsty, I see," remarked the fire lady with a hint of teasing in her tone that Azula completely missed as she concentrated on her empty glass instead of Ty Lee's low cut, pink blouse in front of her. "I'm sure Ty could use a drink after four kids"._

 _The comment brought two pairs of golden eyes together. Ty Lee giggled, making Azula nearly melt at the cuteness of the sound. At least that had not changed, unlike the acrobat's marital status._

 _"I'm fine, really. You know I was never a big drinker. I'll leave that to you two. Plus, Mak wouldn't like it. He says it's bad for fertility"._

 _Before Azula could roll her eyes and give a quick, vicious retort, Mai stepped on her toe with her heel, making her grind her teeth instead._

 _"He's probably right," drawled Mai casually, ignoring Azula's glare. "Which is why Zuko had better be happy with Izumi. I am closed for business"._

 _With a cheer, Mai finished off her wine. Ty Lee shrugged. "I love my babies. Mak is so good with them. I'm glad Zuko's giving him a nice time. He had it rough as a soldier during the war"._

 _Azula chuckled, "He didn't do anything, but mop the flo-Ah!"_

 _Shooting the wide-eyed princess a glare of her own, Mai cleared her throat. "Yes, General Mak is one of Zuko's closest friends," she said, before adding. "I'm glad you're happily married with kids, Ty. It's what you always wanted"._

 _Azula took the hint and tried her best to keep sudden tears from welding._ I have to stop drinking. _She reminded herself, looking out the window as Mai and Ty Lee continued their conversation._

Azula felt the fasteners loosen from her harness and turned her attention back to Kori.

 _To hell with Mai._ She thought, grasping brown locks of hair to guide the woman's mouth. _She can't stop me from dreaming._

Kori moaned when her face was buried in the princess, falling into rhythm as Azula rode her with wild force and short gasps of air. The scent of her idol drove Kori crazy. Lapping everything she could muster, she felt pride shake her own limbs when Azula's gasps grew higher along with shaking legs. Kori pressed the royal's legs unto the mattress and focused.

"Shit!" Cried Azula, lost in the wave that shook her, red heels tapping the mattress to Kori's satisfaction.

Her reward was beautiful and tasted heavenly. "I'm going to leave my boyfriend," promised the woman afterwards with her head atop Azula's sweaty, inner thigh. "You're amazing, Princess Azula. So...perfect".

Azula ran her fingers through the woman's tresses, her mind envisioning her acrobatic, chi-blocking, married friend in her head.

"Tell me more," she said, breathlessly, needing the encouragement that Ty Lee would give without reward. "Tell me about how perfect I am".

Kori kissed her thigh. "You're incredible. Will we do this again?"

Azula's smile widened. "Only if you beg nicely. I do understand cravings".

 **Big, huge gratitude to Led Feyman, M.D. D.D.S. Ph.D for the premise to this story. Yes, yet ANOTHER story to add to my collection of unfinished tales. But hey, it is Tyzula month so of course I will be paying homage to my OTP, totally canon ladies. All other stories will be written, but on a brief hiatus for the month of June. I may or may not add a little Korrasami here or there since it is PRIDE month. Hope you all enjoyed. QTZ.**


	2. Legacy

Ty Lee cried for the first time in years when the royal, rhino-horse drawn carriage increased the distance between her and her calling. How foolish of her to believe that Princess Azula would take "no" for an answer? She never did and Ty Lee was always well aware of that fact. The little girl that Ty Lee had once called her best friend was always…different, yet so was Mai, but deep down at least Mai had a heart. She would never have forced her away from something she loved.

Ty Lee thought heavily on the differences between her only friends. At the academy, they had been her protectors against envious girls whose boyfriends swooned whenever she passed. Mai and Azula could care less about boys and welcomed her with open arms. Naturally, Ty Lee's parents noted her increased status as best friends with two of the nation's wealthiest, influential preteens, which led to perks that made her siblings boil over with jealousy.

"You're quiet," commented Azula, seated across from her in the carriage. "You could've stayed at that lowly circus if being with me makes you so miserable".

Avoiding rolling her eyes, Ty Lee plastered her best smile. "Perhaps it was meant, Princess. I did miss you," she answered sweetly and truthfully. She had missed having her friends around, maybe Mai more so than Azula.

The princess examined her lengthy nails as if she was uninterested. Ty Lee watched her, noting her dying aura. Something had happened since she had left the capital to pursue her passion and it had changed Azula for the worst. Granted the girl was never "nice" necessarily, but she was never _this_ cold. Ty Lee was allowed the luxuries of sleepovers at the palace and Azula had always allowed her to get away with pretty much anything, even being her partner in crime when they snuck out those sweet, sugar cakes from the palace's kitchen or played war in Fire Lord Ozai's throne room.

 _Maybe…she has just grown up._ Ty Lee realized. _We can't expect things to be the same. Especially if she is stressed about her brother and uncle. She's my friend, of course I should help her._

Azula interrupted her thoughts, "I am sure you will be excited to hear that Mai will be joining us once we reach Omashu". Eyes focused on her unwilling companion, she added, "She left m-ahem-left the capital as well. Perhaps we could all reunite to make up for lost time".

Ty Lee's smile widened to a genuine one. "That's wonderful! I can't wait to see her".

Azula nodded. "Yes, I'm glad to have made your day. I do prefer you happier on this mission".

The comment caught Ty Lee off guard, but when she thought on it, that was so like Azula to make it up to her. Perhaps her friend had not changed as much as she thought.

"So, how ya been? You look beautiful. I mean…not that you didn't before, but like not kid beautiful…more like adult beautiful".

Azula returned a small smirk of her own, with her arms across her chest. "Of course, I have an army to control now. With my uncle being a traitor and Zuko, a failure, I am the only hope for our legacy".

Ty Lee nodded. "Yeah, so after this are you gonna get married and stuff?"

Azula's lips tightened. "I…was engaged. Unfortunately, he died during Zuko's siege. Perhaps, I owe my dear brother in some ways. The chains of marriage are not suited for a woman of royalty".

"Like your mom?" Ty Lee slipped before catching Azula's shocked expression and quick blinks. "I'm—er—sorry, I just-"

"We're here," hissed Azula, coldly, making Ty Lee want to kick herself in the shin. "My mother was only a tool for our legacy. She died a coward's death for talking too much," with that she left Ty Lee alone, wondering what she did to get herself into this mess.


	3. Pouting

Day two of their month long vacation was torment at best. It was two types of torture as Azula showed great restraint in her resistance to kill the fire lady for inviting her from her underground dealings in Yu Dao, while likewise viewing Ty Lee in her new body covered by two, skimpy articles of clothing. Azula kept her distance by taking a seat under her umbrella while Mai and Ty Lee shared one. Noticing her friend's voluntary solitude, the acrobat pouted in her direction. Azula kept her eyes glued to the sun, hoping she would lose her eyesight like her brother's blind friend to avoid the beautiful woman's face.

"Azula, this is _our_ vacation," commented Ty Lee. "Stop being a downer".

It was Azula's turn to pout back. "I need to stretch my limbs," was her best lie, though it was a half-truth. Kori woke with the sun begging for one more fuck on the bathroom sink before she left the princess's room in the rental house.

The soreness in Azula's limbs was a result of a very hasty round of orgasms before she left to join her childhood friends.

"Yeah, I offered your guest breakfast before she left," remarked Mai casually.

Ty Lee's pout deepened as she and Azula had a "glare-down". "Azula…" Groaned the acrobat. "Come on. I can massage wherever you're sore".

Azula wanted to laugh aloud. "My dreams are coming true," she mumbled.

After several more of Ty Lee's cute pouts, Azula finally joined the women underneath their umbrella. Ty Lee gave a warm smile, taking Azula's stiff leg in her soft hands and went to work kneading out the tension as she had done multiple times without request after their battles with the avatar. Azula's eyes met her friend's when she remembered how well the acrobat catered to her needs when she was her father's lap dog. Azula had been under so much pressure and stress that she never paid attention to the unintentional, tender moments that they had shared.

She longed to go back and correct those mistakes. She would have shown Ty Lee that she was appreciated, then it would be her curling in bed with the contortionist every night, not _General Mak._

"Do you?"

Azula shook her head. She had not been listening and was just noticing that it was the two of them alone. Mai had gone to fetch fire flakes from a nearby canteen shop.

"Hmm?" Asked Azula, watching Ty Lee switch to the other leg.

"It was nothing, really, Princess. I was just wondering if you were seeing anyone, now? You know, since you've been in Yu Dao".

"You should know the answer," Azula answered coldly. "You should also know that what I said years ago was a product of my lost mind. I have sense come to terms with reality. I regret allowing myself to say such things to you".

Ty Lee quirked an eyebrow and Azula was pleased with her ability to remain calm, though her heart burned whenever she remembered her confession to the acrobat after her wedding, met with rejection. She had promised herself that she would never experience such pain again. She was done with…relationships. They were only for the weak who had nothing to strive for in life, but weddings and babies.

"But what about your…um…your guest?" Ty Lee probed.

Azula gave a careless shrug, wincing when Ty Lee's fingers pressed an old fracture in her ankle from her first fight with the water peasant. "Come on Ty Lee, you're not ignorant, we both know that. Just because I slept with someone does not mean I am going to run off and marry them in fairy tale land to bring home little cuddly babies". She said, slightly ashamed of the bitterness in her words.

"Oh, I just thought well, you let her stay over…"

Azula thought on it. It was true that she NEVER allowed anyone to sleep in her bed except for Ty Lee, though the two had never even shared a kiss. That fact had remained true, until Kori wore her out with her hunger. Maybe she did enjoy Kori a little too much. The girl had already claimed that she was going to leave her boyfriend, obviously, being allowed to sleep overnight was only giving her more wrong ideas.

"Well, you know the nights are cold here," she answered, waving Ty Lee away.

"You're a firebender," pointed out Ty Lee, making Azula bite her inner cheek at the terrible lie.

Before Azula could change subjects, two women approached them wearing pleasant smiles and holding hands. Ember Island was definitely the land of gorgeous women and Azula relished in the sight before her, making Ty Lee turn to look at what caught the princess's attention.

"Hi, Ladies," greeted one of the women, her skin sun-kissed with lengthy, dark hair that hung below her shoulders in loose curls. "My girlfriend and I were wondering if you ladies wanted to come by our beach house? We don't see many lesbians around these parts".

Ty Lee opened her mouth to reject the offer, but Azula quickly cut in. "She's married with kids, but I do find this island lacking for entertainment".

The girl licked her lips and gestured for Azula to follow her and her girlfriend to their beach house not far from where Azula was staying with her friends. Luckily Mai returned to the pouting acrobat shortly after Azula hurried after them.

"She just went with them," Ty Lee choked out. "I bet they're going to have sex".

Mai shrugged. "What do you care anyway? At least she won't try to hit on you anymore," Ty Lee's eyes followed the princess until she was gone from sight. A nudge on the elbow made her break away. "Fire flakes?"


	4. Don't Cry

Azula could barely step into the lovers' mid-sized home before they were tearing at her bikini, making short work of shedding the garments before Azula's back was slammed into the wall by the quiet, more aggressive one of the couple.

"Name's Nori," she whispered in Azula's ear, taking the princess's pale neck between her lips. "That's Yuri".

Azula eyed Yuri dropping to her knees, hoisting one of her legs unto her shoulder. Azula felt the fire of her folds being teased as Nori's lips collided with hers. Moving to her earlobe, Nori bit down gently with her teeth before asking, "Do you like bondage, Princess?"

Azula could only moan as Yuri flicked her aroused flesh and inserted a finger. Pleasure flooded Azula's senses though she felt very uncomfortable for an unknown reason. The grip of stone around her wrists brought back horrifying memories of her last Agni Khai, making Azula's eyes widen. Kicking Yuri away, the princess convulsed, feeling her breathing shorten.

"St-Stop!" She managed to gasp.

Yuri and Nori giggled as she fell to her knees, smoke burning through her nostrils. Yuri pushed the panicking princess unto her back and straddled her.

"Oh, come now, Princess Azula, be adventurous," she cooed.

Nori bent the stone handcuffs around the princess's wrist tighter, making Azula thrash out her legs, shooting a wave of fire towards the kneeling Yuri. Nori hurried to check on her girlfriend.

"Crazy bitch!" screamed Nori, battling the flames away and forming a pointed blade from the marble flooring. "Look who's trapped now".

"Heard she was in the nuthouse anyway. What a wierdo," added Yuri.

The words hurt, but not as much as the earth handcuffs squeezing the circulation in her wrists dry. Panic mode filled Azula's mind as she thought on the little time she had to get away from her captors. She had to get the bounds off her wrists ASAP before she destroyed herself and her tormentors in less than a minute.

"Hey, grab that Chasing the Dragon. She's just too good to let go to waste," commanded Nori.

The stronger of the two, Nori threw the princess onto the floor and took a seat on her stomach to stop her legs from bending immediately as Azula's body searched for air. Yuri prepared the drug in the adjacent sitting room hurriedly. The two helped themselves to some before forcing the princess to partake. It took little time for Azula to succumb to her numb state as she envisioned Ty Lee on the back of a pink eel-hound, completely naked. She allowed Ty Lee to have her way with her, unable to move as she was lapped up and brought to climax over and over.

"Azula!" Screamed Ty Lee, straddling her, feeding her an abundance of creamy mounds that she could not get enough of.

Azula thrusted into the woman with everything she could give. "You're mine," she said, softly to Ty Lee's face, now wearing a worried look. "Don't you want to be mine?" She managed to ask before darkness took her.

#

Mai jumped awake at the sound of the door opening and slamming. The fire lady rose, checking her robes for her knives before descending the staircase of the family beach house.

"Ty!" She gasped at the acrobat in the middle of the parlor. "What in Agni's name are you doing? I could have killed you! Do you know what time it is?"

Azula hung limp over the woman's shoulders, eyes closed with ragged breathing. When she noticed Ty Lee's misty eyes, Mai knew that this was serious.

"They drugged her, Mai," Ty Lee's broken voice explained, placing Azula on a nearby couch before sitting in the middle of the floor in a storm of tears.

"It's ok, she's tough. Why are you crying? Did they hurt you? Don't cry…Azula wouldn't-"

"She wouldn't have let me leave by myself with total strangers! I'm such a dummy!"

Mai was conflicted on whom to nurture first, the sobbing acrobat or the heavily drugged princess. Deciding on Azula, Mai left the two to prepare a cold bath.

"It's ok, Ty," she said when she returned. "We can get the authorities around here involved. If those girls knew that this is Fire Nation's princess, they would have thought twice".

"Yeah," sniffled Ty Lee.

"Zuko needs to know about this".

Ty Lee's head popped up, eyes wide. "No! Mai, no let's not get Zuko involved, please. We can handle them on our own. We always have. Once Azula wakes, we can find them. The island isn't that big. We'll hunt them both down and whoever they're working for".

Mai shook her head. "That's the thing, Ty. We are political figures now. We can't run around killing people we don't like. We have to tell Zuko".

"But…Azula…"

"She's asleep so she has no say in this. It's for the best, Ty. Zuko's been wanting Azula home for a while now. She's always been dangerous".


	5. Liberated Heartbeats

_"I have a task for you"._

 _Azula raised her head to face her father in silent triumph. Zuko had failed in his siege of the Northern Water Tribe, she had overheard an advisor whisper to another. The most surprising and liberating thing was not her brother's failure, however, that was a given, but the shocking, mysterious demise of her promised fiancé._

 _The news of the man who had been honored with her hand in marriage spread like wildfire. The princess had sent high praise to Agni for the turn of events. Her father had simply written it off as fate's cruelty and Azula agreed readily. Of course, fate needed a little intervention, here and there, but either way she was freed. Marriage had struck fear in the twelve year old's heart and with Mai, Ty Lee and Zuko gone, she had no one to talk to about her issues or torment excessively from pent up anxiety._

 _Lo and Li served as her nannies, yet they were very little help despite their conjoined minds. Azula was left to ponder on how to rid herself of the man before he could return home to wed her._

 _"You'll see, Princess, age is just a number and I am sure you will become quite fond of my experience with time"._

 _"Be sure to bring my brother's head back on a platter and I am all yours," Azula hissed back._

 _Admiral Zhao roared with laughter at the "not a joke". "I believe, Princess,_ that _choice is not yours, though I plan to rid myself of the boy for my personal enjoyment. May our heartbeats align when I return"._

#

Azula wanted to vomit as she remembered the kiss he'd stolen from her lips.

"I should've burned half his face off to match Zuzu's," she grumbled.

"What was that, Princess?"

Azula blinked twice, noting Ty Lee walking next to her palanquin. She felt a foreign flutter in her stomach as she met the girl's large, concerned eyes.

"Heartbeats," she quickly covered. "Do you think they really align when one is close to someone they love?" Asked Azula.

Ty Lee seemed confused by the question which did not surprise Azula. The acrobat was nowhere near as smart as she was pretty and most importantly…useful.

"When I'm scared, my heartbeat speeds up like really fast. Like when I'm performing…" Her voice trailed.

"Have you ever failed?"

Ty Lee shook her head, solemnly.

"Naturally, so your fear ensures a perfect performance every time," Azula said confidently.

Ty Lee almost whispered the next question, though Azula heard it clearly. "Are you ever scared, Princess?"

 _Often._

"No," She answered, instead. "I have nothing to fear".

"You're right. You're just perfect all the time, Princess and really pretty, naturally," was Ty Lee's answer and Azula dismissed the question, it was stupid to ask a circus idiot such things anyway, though she could not help noticing the sudden increasing pace of her heart when Ty Lee's hand grasped hers to help her out of the palanquin.

What did she have to fear?


	6. Here We Go Again

"You can't keep me locked up forever!"

"That's not-"

"Bullshit!"

"You're a princess, Azula! It is too much risk. Besides, a princess has no business running a bar or whatever you're doing in Yu Dao".

"I ran an entire country that others called impenetrable, IDIOT! Just because you look like Father, doesn't change the fact. You're. Not. Ozai".

"Just like you're not mother, but whenever I see you I see her. I don't want lose you again, Azula".

"Fuck you, Zuko! Fuck you and your wife! I should have known this was all a setup. Trusting you idiots, how foolish of me!"

"Mai was looking out for you".

"She miscalculated, I'm on my best behavior outside of your rule, Fire Lord Zuzu".

The fire lady sighed loudly at the scene of brother and sister at odds, yet again. Izumi clutched her sleeve while Ty Lee stared at the floor. Mai simply wondered when the madness would end.

"I'm done with this," grumbled Zuko, turning away from his sister with her hands on her lips in her bedroom.

"I'm leaving tonight!" Insisted Azula. "My precious Chinatsu will burn this place to the ground before I let you keep me here, Dum Dum!"

Izumi giggled into her mother's sleeve before turning stone silent when the aunt she was just meeting for the first time in all her six years of life turned narrowed, scary eyes on her.

"Would you like to see my doll trick? It's _hilarious_ ," Azula cooed with a sly smirk, lighting two fingers from her place, seated on her old bed.

Mai's foot came down at this. "Enough, Azula! Your enemies are endless and instead of appreciating the graciousness the fire lord is showing you, you choose to act like an immature child".

Azula's eyebrows raised as she bit her lip. "You're right, Mai. Goodness, could you fetch Zuzu so that I can tell him where he can shove his _graciousness_?"

Mai scoffed, taking her leave with Izumi in tow. She was more than done with the conversation. No matter how many chances she was given, Azula would always been stubborn, insane and spoiled. Age, circumstances, nothing could change that fact.

"I'm done," she grumbled to Ty Lee before exiting. "She can leave if she wants".

Azula glared at the royals leaving her bedroom, before realizing it was now Ty Lee and her….alone….in her bedroom. Azula's head began to ache.

"I'm leaving," she stated, firmly, stomping towards the exit when Ty Lee's body blocked her path.

"Azula," the woman said in such a commanding tone that the princess was unsure whether to feel confused or aroused. "You're _not_ going anywhere. Those people were trying to capture you. They could have killed you".

"Since when have you cared?" Azula could not help lashing at her. "I'm walking out that door and I would love for someone to try and stop me. That would make my day".

The shorter girl refused to step out of her way. Azula lit her fists to threaten her. Instead her lips burned when soft ones met them suddenly. Eyes widening, Azula felt unsure of how to kiss when Ty Lee's breaths hit her cheek, followed by toned arms wrapping about her neck to pull her closer.

 _I'm dreaming. This is not real._ She told herself, eyes closing, lips parting to make room for a fleshy tongue. _Yes, all…dream…this…is._

She felt faint. Her chest was throbbing. Was Ty Lee really an airbender? That would explain her incredible jumping skills and sweet innocence. Was she bending air straight from Azula's body? Was that possible?

The princess slumped into the kiss making Ty Lee's back hit the wall. The acrobat groaned beautifully before letting go too soon. When they parted, Azula panted, searching her friend's face for the same longing she felt. The woman's brown eyes found hers and reddened instantly, leaving Azula speechless as she was pushed away to watch the back of the married, mother of four disappear out of the door in a flood of tears.

From her place on the floor, Azula touched her own lips, deciding that she _could_ stay a while in her homeland. Zuzu and Mai's pathetic _graciousness_ may not be such a bad thing, afterall.

* * *

 **Thanks Pen, Led and Silva. The reviews are awesome. I am enjoying writing about the girls again.**


	7. Blue Flowers

**This story is a bit more angst-y than I was going for...oh well...of course with Tyzula there is bound to be more angst so...humorous moments are here and there, but I changed the description accordingly...QueenTy**

Ty Lee raced out of the palace as fast as her little legs could carry her. Ignoring the solicits for a palanquin ride due to her noble status, she traveled at least a mile in an all out sprint before reaching her home. The home that always felt foreign no matter how much "sprucing up" she did or the fact that her four young children, all under the age of ten, were still up at this hour. Luckily, none of the children noticed their broken mother rush through the house before vanishing into the backyard, maze gardens.

Deep in the heart of the maze, Ty Lee sat on a stone bench and brought her knees to her chest. She could not twist her body to match her twisting heart, however. She had done the unthinkable. Kissing Azula! What was she thinking? Sure, she had flirted with Azula for the sake of survival on their mission, but she had never gone so far as to kiss her. What reason did she have?

"Mommy?"

Ty Lee's shoulders shook at the tiny voice before she raised her head from her knees. Her youngest daughter stared at her with sad, worried eyes. Of all her children, Pema held the most likeness to her mother in personality and semblance. Mak's strong, Fire Nation features showed overwhelmingly in her eldest son and two daughters, however.

"Sweetie," Ty Lee sniffled. "Sweetie, why are you out here so late?" She asked of the child.

Pema gave a soft smile. "I-I thought we were gonna get in trouble for playing in the house. I told everybody to go to bed, but they wouldn't listen to me. Then…I saw you run away, I got scared".

Ty Lee wiped her face with the back of her hand. With the way her sweet husband treated her with such gentle hands, her children had assumed she was fragile. If only they knew the amount of bruises she still had from her mission with Azula in addition to the ones from her childhood friendship with the princess, she was sure they would have thought differently.

"I wanted to show you something. A surprise," said the five year old, pointing past her mother to a single, blue cluster of blue flowers on a single stem within the wall plants. "It grew in the gardens the day you left. It was the only one".

Pema took a seat by her mother as they gazed at the rare plant. "Everyone else said it was ugly because it didn't look like the others. But I like it. Do you, Mommy?"

Ty Lee stared at the vibrant, blue petals on the plant. She was sure it was an omen. Her kiss with Azula was dangerous. Swallowing air, Ty Lee felt her world coming apart. She had not felt this low since being forced away from the circus by of course Azula. Everything terrible in her life was because of that woman. She felt like a true idiot. Her aura wavered whenever she was in the woman's presence. Was this her punishment?

 _"He let that lunatic out of prison? He really is turning into his father!"_

 _"I don't think it was like that. Even so I've had a hard time maintaining a peaceful aura ever since. A part of me expects her to…I don't know…pop out of nowhere at any moment"._

 _"To punish us for betraying her"._

 _"Yeah…something like that"._

"Dangerous, oh so dangerous, but wonderful, oh so wonderful".

"Huh?" Asked Pema, confused, she had never seen her mother so down.

"That plant is beautiful, but it is also ugly," said Ty Lee, watching her daughter's pretty face turn downcast before explaining further. "It is wonderful to look at. It really is, but it does not belong in our backyard. One touch and its poison will kill you".

Pema gasped with understanding, bringing her hands to her mouth as she looked to the plant in pure fear.

"Go get your father, Sweetie," Ty Lee commanded at which Pema hurriedly obeyed.

 _I'm no longer that naive, little girl anymore. You are my friend and I will love you as far as that._

"I won't let you destroy my family," Ty Lee spoke towards the deadly flower.

"Not while I'm breathing," a low, baritone voice stated from behind, followed by a burst of flames that exposed the plant's true colors.

Ty Lee turned, hoping her face did not give away the guilt she felt. "Pema almost touched it, but didn't. We should make sure there aren't any more in the gardens. I doubt Yasuko, Azami and Mao would be as cautious. We got lucky, Mak".

The general nodded in agreement. "The Devil's Helmet". He recalled. "It's tempting to touch".

"Yes," whispered Ty Lee, watching the petals tarnish further when Mak's lips touched hers softly at first before pushing harder until she was on her back against the cold stone of their bench. Ty Lee's arms wrapped about her husband's neck as the crackle of the burning flame rung in her ears. Mak's lips met her neck, his hand snaking up her pink dress. "It is," she groaned, weaving her fingers through his side burns towards his sleek, dark hair.

When she felt the tent of his uniform pants against her leg, she found her senses.

"The children, Mak?" She asked.

"Sent to bed. I told them the plant grew because they were being disobedient".

Ty Lee managed to smile despite her guilt. She allowed the general to continue his groping, sinking into his touch, though her stubborn mind remembered a softer, more aggressive body against her own. Azula's lips had tasted almost venomous, in a good way. Her mind imagined the woman unclothed, eliciting from her the same breathless moans that she heard from Azula's room the first night of their vacation.

The princess and her guest were in the room next to hers, preventing the acrobat from blocking out the passionate squeals and erotic sounds in the middle of the night. By the time Mak slipped inside her folds, she was sopping.

"You've missed me, I see," he groaned in her ear as he pushed inside as far as he could, eyes rolling backwards against her shoulder.

 _Agni! Yes…Princess. I'm all yours._ Ty Lee's mind answered, the smells of burning ash filling her senses until she felt euphoric, forgetting the body against her and envisioning the petite form of her friend instead.

Azula smiled wickedly in her mind, her outward confidence, shrouding any insecurities she held.

"Over," she commanded, pushing her husband unto his back.

The general hissed in a high-pitched tone of surprise when she wrapped her lips around him, taking complete control of the moment. The sexy look his wife gave made him put golden eyes that he once craved to the back of his mind. In the years of their marriage, Ty Lee had only shown this side of herself four times and each time yielded another child. Mak's breaths grew shallow, his wife wanted him and he had no reason to think about what had happened the night she left for her vacation, though he found it difficult to forget.

 _That's not wrong, right? They're my thoughts…I…I'm entitled to those at least?_


	8. Crush

Back at the Fire Nation's steam traincar, Mai and Ty Lee were relieved to be able to dry their clothing in the steam room. They emerged from the intense heat to meet their scowling leader immediately in their shared, cramped, make-shift bedroom, dampening both girls' moods dramatically. There was no denying the fact that Azula had likewise failed to capture the avatar and more than likely met the cute boy and girl, presumably his sister from their strong semblance, from the Water Tribe.

Neither girl spoke as Azula's arms folded about her chest and she looked over them with a suspicious eye. Their guess had proven correct when the princess finally spoke.

"Riddle me this," began the 14 year old, leaning against the steel wall of the steam traincar, eyes glistening with what Mai later learned to be harbored lunacy. "What is it that walks on four legs, then two and finally three legs?" She asked.

Mai refused to answer while Ty Lee shivered. They had heard the riddle before and were shocked along with their teacher and classmates to hear Azula's answer during class at the academy. Azula smirked, eyes lowered. She knew they recalled the answer and therefore did not reiterate her chilling words from her youth.

"Ah, you remembered, good. It also applies to traitors. Speaking of which, tell me why I was ambushed by six imbeciles at the same time? Two of which should have been handled by my elite team?"

Mai remained silent, brooding at the indirect threat that Ty Lee totally missed as she gave her sweetest smile, licking her lips as she sauntered up to her leader boldly. For the first time, Mai noted Azula's cheeks turn a rare red that rivaled the Fire Temple's walls. She wanted to bring face to palm at the revelation. The princess was secretly smitten over their mutual friend. Of course! Why hadn't she caught it before. Mai felt slightly amused. Perhaps the acrobat could be their saving grace in their rocky friendship with Fire Lord Ozai's daughter.

 _Hmm…Fire Lord Ozai would banish all three of us._ She thought.

"Did they hurt you, Princess?" The acrobat was asking, daring to take Azula's wrists in hand.

The princess's blushing deepened further which Mai found hilarious. She could not contain the snort from her nose before covering it by clearing her throat. Azula's eyes promised death when they met her own over the acrobat's shoulder.

 _Our little secret, Princess._ Mai's eyes spoke, making Azula nearly snatch her wrists away angrily.

"I've already taken care of one traitor with a bolt to the heart". Mai stiffened, keeping her face from revealing her own feelings as Azula continued. "Your precious Zuzu was spared. I am sure you're just dying to tell him about your secret crush, right Mai?"

Ty Lee giggled, continuing to rub circles in Azula's wrists, oblivious to the princess's drenching forehead. "Yeah, Mai, it's past time for you to spill the beans," agreed the acrobat. "Admit it, you've had a crush on Prince Zuko for years".

Mai shrugged passively. "Sure, Ty, I'll admit it, but only after the princess admits her _own_ ".

Ty Lee began to turn to hear the answer, instead squealing when Azula's hand tugged her braid for the first time since they were kids and she hurried away from the scene to avoid showing her embarrassment, barking orders along the way.


	9. Forbidden Fruit

The fire lady made hasty rounds about the Fire Temple in search of her young princess. She wanted to release a hail fire of her hidden stilettos on Izumi's nanny for allowing the child out of her sight. Luckily, the fire lord was in an all day war meeting regarding whether or not to aid the Southern Water Tribe, who were once again facing threats from their northern brothers.

Rounding the corner of the temple in long strides, completely dressed in her satin robes for the day, she felt relieved to have saved her stilettos as she felt she would need them soon. Of course, news of a possible renewed war sparked panic and outrage from the public, naturally, thanks to noblemen with an ear in the temple, discussing the matter to their gossiping, cackling wives.

Mai's eyes narrowed at the group of noblewomen led by the capital's well-known gossip ringleader, On Ji, whose husband had been grandfathered into the council of advisors against Zuko's wishes. On Ji and her fellow noblewomen of varying ages bowed as customary before the onslaught began.

"Fire Lady, what a pleasure!" Squealed the gossip, catching the attention of a horde of news columnists at the steps of the Fire Temple awaiting the Fire Lord's announcement.

Mai sighed as she was bombarded by questions meant for her husband, whom she believed was intentionally avoiding leaving the war room. One particular question caught her attention readily, however.

"You there!" She called to a young man, she recognized as the up and coming self-made, rags to riches gossip king, Guangli, owner of _The Cactus Juice_ pamphlet. "What did you say?"

The man gained great popularity for asking and printing the questions that others thought, but would not dare ask the monarchy in a million suns. The crowd silenced, anticipating the question that was sure to be juicy.

"Fire Lady, it is speculated that Princess Azula has a perversion for women," said the man, his cigar dangling between his teeth as he spoke, pen and scroll in hand. The gasps in the crowd seemed scripted, as Mai felt a chill in her spine despite the heat of the summer sun. "Is it true that on your mission to capture the avatar, she and noblewoman, Ty Lee, wife of General Mak were secretly involved and have since continued the affair upon her surprise return to the capital three weeks ago?"

Mai felt sick. The ill-intended gossip columnist knew exactly how to phrase his words. _Perversion. Affair._ The Fire Nation was known for its strict principles and social expectations. The thought that a royal member of society was having an affair with a noble of the same gender would surely wreak havoc in the capital.

Mai licked her dry lips. Where was Zuko? Or Azula for the matter. The latter would handle this much better, she decided.

"The princess is an adult and can speak for herself," Mai offered.

She heard On Ji's cackling high above her group of noblewomen. "Fire Lord Ozai would NEVER allow such a scandal!" The noblewoman called out, making the crowd murmur.

"OH MY! This generation is full of perversion!" Cried an elder noblewoman, Mai could not place.

"Agni made Oma and Shu, not Oma and June," another old nobleman added, making the fire lady twirl a stiletto between her fingers, luckily hidden from view by her sleeves. "Fire Lord Ozai was a better man than this!"

"That sounds like treason," Mai shot back, almost sending a host of very un-fireladylike words in addition, before being grasped gently by the elbow.

She turned to see her handsome husband with Izumi and a somber Azula at the top of the Fire Temple's steps. Zuko gestured for her to join them at which she did. The four royals faced the widening crowd.

The Fire Lord took a step forward to address them. "Please, everyone, there is no need for alarm. As your royal family, we understand our responsibility as not only role-models, but moral representatives of our great nation. The reputations of our princess and our nation must not be tainted with such vicious claims. Therefore, we are proud to announce the union of Princess Azula and Admiral Chan to promote a united front against the immorality of those such as the Northern Water Tribe against our Southern brothers in arms," Admiral Chan appeared on cue at Mai's left, stopping to stand beside a cold-faced Azula.

Shell-shocked by the news, Mai searched Azula's face fruitlessly. The woman gave nothing away as she stared towards the crowd with the same determined look of her years as the youngest general in history. "Under the blessings of Agni, your royal family and the Fire Nation stand strong!" Concluded the Fire Lord.

What little optimism, Mai had seen from her old friend on Ember Island was absent from the woman, whose movements seemed robotic as she accepted a steamy kiss to ignite the crowd. The Fire Lady waited until the crowd had dwindled before approaching Azula. Admiral Chan gave a bow, following Fire Lord Zuko back into the Fire Temple.

"What are you doing, Azula?" Mai hissed low.

The princess's eyes instead fell on her niece, gripping the hem of her mother's dress. "A princess surrenders with honor," she said to the little girl before looking to her old companion. "I am serving my nation, Mai, it's what I do best".


	10. Unlucky

**I want to take the time to thank Led Feynman M.D. D.D.S PH.D for this awesome premise. The story Bittersweet Ceremony really birthed this story. Also KD for allowing me to use the Avatar drinks...I used it again in this update. Finally, Pen, my dear, you know that your encouragement keeps my stories going. Peace, QTZ. Enjoy! Any quotes, ALL characters belong to Bryke, but I do love to play around with their world!**

Four months. Four months were all it took to turn Azula's world upside down…or topside up? The princess was sure of nothing anymore. Certainty was a lie. Trust was for fools. Fear was an illusion. Everything in Azula's life had been one tremendous fairy tale.

#

Certainty, Azula was always certain she was in her father's favor forever. Fire Lord Ozai loved his prodigal second child. He would always shield her from her disgusting mother's jealousy.

 _"You have something she doesn't, Azula," the fire lord had said before._

Her father never told her outright, but her time served in the institution, thanks to the newly appointed fire lord, helped her put the pieces together. She was certain her mother had orchestrated this somehow. Ursa saw power in a newborn and since plotted her downfall, piece by piece, of this she was certain.

Her father blamed her for their nation's current state when they met for the first time in over a year a glorious tea party between criminals. Azula readily saw through his disdain, however. Of course, it had to be a result of Ursa's accosting to twist her father's mind against his beloved daughter.

"I saw her in your mirror, Father," she confessed when they were finally left alone. "I had to brush my hair as all of the servants could not be trusted. That's when she appeared to me".

Ozai stared at her from behind steel bars. Azula shuddered at her father's strong frame now clothed in rags. "It is true isn't it, Father?" She asked. "The Avatar took your bending. She must have told him to weaken you…worse than…poison".

Certainty, Azula was certain her father was being controlled by Ursa even now, for she could not fathom his next words to her.

"You are worthless to me, now, Child. I am sure your brother will use you for the little worth you have, then rid himself of you. I never thought I would see the day Zuko became stronger than my prodigy. My father's namesake turned out to be a weakling".

Certainty, Azula was certain if she were not chi-blocked, she would have shown her father just how _weak_ she was with a piercing to the heart to match Uncle Fuddy Duddy. Her words would have to be enough, for now.

"Weak? Do you have any idea the monster you helped create with Ursa?"

"Don't push your luck, Princess," hissed Ozai, though Azula saw him, for the first time, she really SAW him.

"I don't need luck, Father," she said confidently, leaning her head back with a smirk. "I'll make my own, besides I still _have_ my bending," she paused to allow the words to sink in. Smirk widening at her father's twitching jaw. "You may be ok with Ursa's controlling, but I'm not. I know she is in your head at this very moment. So I will put her out of her misery for the both of us".

Azula's face nearly crumbled the instant her father howled with insane laughter. _He's laughing…He's laughing at ME!_ She felt her eyes mist. _I swear Ursa, when I find you…_

"I look forward to hearing of your mother's demise. Therefore, I will help you, Princess".

Azula sniffled, proud that she kept her tears from falling. "So…she really IS alive? I knew it," hissed the 16-year-old.

"Perhaps," answered Ozai.

"Tell me, Father, how do I find her?"

"My secret chamber behind the Flames of Sozin's painting in the temple. In a chest, you will find your mother's treasonous letters to her lover".

"Lover?" Inquired Azula. _Ursa was having an affair?_

Azula swallowed as she thought of her recent encounter with Ty Lee, shameful that she actually WANTED to provoke the Kyoshi Warrior to action, just to feel her hands. Had Ursa been like her? Trapped and unable to follow her love? Betrayed by her heart?

"Yes," her father answered, interrupting her thoughts. "Your mother committed high treason to leave you and Zuko behind to be with a man she…loved".

 _She left us for…love? We were her children!_ The woman was more evil than she had remembered. Azula found it hard to believe from the few memories she had left of the woman, but she was certain her father would not lie to her. Yet, a part of her wondered if she could ever do the same.

When Azula was released to assist Zuko after getting the information from Ozai, she was silently still brooding over the matter while Zuko pushed her wheelchair with Ty Lee and her friend at his side. The women exchanged an unnerving glance and Azula SAW it. Ty Lee's body trembled and Azula knew in that instant, the fear was still there. As surely as the sun set and rose, the acrobat had not lost her fear of Azula, of losing Azula. Fear and love were one in the same, they had the power to destroy a human and trap them at the same time.

 _Upon being thrown onto a hospital stretcher, her arms bound in chains to contain her bending, Azula was sedated by a jab in the neck from shaking hands. She looked to her old, traitorous friend, noting the uniform they wore in Ba Sing Se._

 _"You aren't one of them," hissed Azula, coldly when Ty Lee removed a single strand of hair from her forehead. "You're not meant to be a matched set. I could have given you more"._

 _The girl shook her head. "I'm afraid of you, Azula," she whispered._

 _"As you should be," the princess stated, "fear is a good thing. It keeps you loyal"._

 _Another shake of her head and a sigh, Ty Lee stared at her best friend, amazed at how far the princess had fallen. "I hope you get better. I don't want to lose you," she said, helping the Imperial Guards place the princess on the ship that would carry her to her new home on a tiny island. The asylum for the mentally inadept awaited Azula, now. The bounds on her heart seemed to trap her further as she increased the distance from the acrobat. Ty Lee could not tear her eyes away from the fear in Azula's as the ship left the dock._

Azula was ready to leave the past behind. She knew Ty Lee would wait for her out of fear of the inevitable. She was going to return to the Fire Nation. And return she did with a band of sisters more miserable than Mai to take the capital by storm.

After the events settled, Zuko and Azula came to an understanding on her terms. She struck terror in the capital to send a "fuck you" to her royal sibling, before settling matters, due to his decision to have her institutionalized before finally running future Fire Lady Mai's father, Ukano's precious plethora of societies into bankruptcy to send a final "fuck you" to Ozai. With Zuko on the throne, he was no longer part of the plan. He could rot in his own filth as far as she cared for what he did to her. Besides she was just obeying his mantra.

 _Trust is for fools._

"You have my sisters to thank, Fire Lord," Azula announced at Zuko's reception. Of course, she had to stop by to see her matchmaking success take the trip down the aisle. "They did the grunt work and therefore, should be fairly compensated".

Zuko raised an eyebrow at the proposal, enjoying the pricey, rare cigar his sister had gifted him. After exhaling, he nodded, answering, "An interesting way to keep them from being locked up, huh? I am sure you have suggestions".

"Guardians of the city," Azula said, flippantly. "Your guards are terrible, so my ladies will be better suited to fight whatever future resistance arise".

Fire Lord Zuko stroked his lengthy beard, handing his sister back the cigar.

"Sounds like a good plan," Mai added on his right.

Azula puffed confidently. She and the Fire Lady were far from complete amends, yet they would always hold a mutual respect for the other. As she exhaled the smoke through her nose, awaiting Zuzu's answer, Azula caught Ty Lee twirling on the dancefloor through the dancing smoke with a man she recognized as Zuko's newly appointed general.

"Can I trust that you will stay as well? Mom would want that," Zuko finally spoke, making Azula cut a cold eye at Ursa and her new family surrounded by the press.

 _Boy those creeps love a good affair tale._

"If it's in the cards, Brother," said Azula when she met Ty Lee's gaze over her lover's shoulder.

#

That was four months ago. Mai and Zuko were happily or miserably happily married, depending on who you asked, Ursa was a constant, automated piss off while Kiyi was too much like her for Azula to hate her half-sister.

"I said 'yes'!" Squealed the woman, absent of her Kyoshi Warrior garbs.

The royal family, plus Suki were gathered on the temple's balcony, testing a variety of teas prepared and served by Iroh to determine which would serve as the new national tea. Azula had been in the middle of explaining why Ember Long Island Iced Tea could be beneficial for the youth, when she felt her nostrils burn from Ty Lee's unexpected interruption. Were her ears deceiving her? Ty Lee had only dated the pathetic excuse for a soldier for FOUR MONTHS.

Mai, who was glad to have escaped Ursa's terrible advice on rearing children, was the first to answer. "What is it, Ty?"

The acrobat giggled cutely, wrapping her arms about Mak's neck before flashing a diamond engagement ring.

"I'm getting married!"

Everyone expressed congratulations, suffocating the newly engaged couple. Mai had been caught up in the moment, happy for her friend when she thought on Azula. Panic surged through her as she searched the balcony with the eye of a hawk for the princess who was nowhere to be found.


	11. Burning Touch

**_What's it gonna be 'cause I can't pretend. Don't you wanna be more than friends?_**

Ty Lee finally returned to the Fire Temple a week after she mistakenly kissed Azula. A request by personal messenger from the Fire Lady, asking her to join her in watching Azula and Zuko duel dragons was difficult to pass up. She had never seen a dragon before and she was going to see two! Not to mention, the princess as well or at least check on her well-being as friends tend to do. Mak had left early to attend some meeting so it was up to Ty Lee to herd her energetic children into their chauffeured wagon to make it in time to catch the opening ceremony.

She had been surprised to see Azula's nemesis, Katara along with Aang, Sokka and Toph in the crowd as well. Suki worked the gates of the Agni Khai grounds and the girls exchanged excited hugs.

"Can you take them to Mai, Suki?" Ty Lee asked, gesturing to her little tribe of excited kids. "I wanted to wish Azula luck".

The Kyoshi warrior made a disgusted face at the mention of Azula's name. "There should be an insanity warning on her. She doesn't need a dragon," the woman joked.

Ty Lee gave a small smile that she hoped did not come off as forced, watching Suki and her children disappear into the stands before heading to the renovated dragon stables where she knew she would find Azula sitting alone with her beloved Chinatsu instead of watching Zuko give opening remarks. The princess's back was turned, her attention on her dragon eating semi-live fish from a pail.

Ty Lee tiptoed on the balls of her feet, nearly catching the princess by surprise. Azula, however, whirled around before she could bear hug her friend from behind. She was surprised to feel the other woman's lips pressed against her own. Ty Lee whimpered, grasping unto her shoulders to shove Azula backwards. Azula took her wrists in hand and forced them against the back of the brick wall inside an unoccupied stall. Ty Lee's back connected with the wall, her arms pinned together above her head by Azula's hand while another touch from the princess moved eagerly downward, past the hem of her sundress.

Biting her lip in anticipation and sudden adrenaline from the thrill of secret infidelity, Ty Lee felt horrible though her body warmed until she felt as though she had melted when Azula teased her…there! Panting, she set her lips on Azula's neck in encouragement, though the princess seemed to enjoy the agonizing time she was taking.

"You want this?" She heard the sultry voice ask, sincerely unsure, feeling the touch pause at her entrance, outside her undergarment.

 _Yes, Princess!_ Her mind screamed. Instead, her body answered for her with both legs swinging high unto Azula's shoulders.

The princess groaned longingly into her neck, responding with her fingers easing into Ty Lee with careful, surprisingly gentle grace. She held her signature fingers there for several moments, eyes glued to the married woman's sweaty face and matted hair. Ty Lee's pulsing made Azula's heart lift. It felt right to be home, making love to her best friend. She needed this. Ty Lee was squirming, her body begging for her to continue.

A stirrup hung overhead, just right to hold the woman's wrists. Azula made short work of placing Ty Lee's hands inside the stirrup, tightening the grip on the girl's wrists to prevent her from escaping. Though she would have ignited the entire stable with the force of Chinatsu's cough at the thought of being bound again, the contortionist seemed to come alive at the bondage. She was Azula's original, favorite prisoner and it felt so…damn good. Her ankles locked together securing Azula's neck when the princess dropped to her knees, stroking her to peak arousal. Ty Lee shuddered, mewling at the woman's expert touch. Her body jolted as if struck.

Eyes wide, Ty Lee clenched her teeth, keeping the scream as a result of the electric pulse she felt, from escaping. Was Azula electrifying her internally?

Seconds after the delicious burn, Ty Lee gripped the stirrup with tight fingers, unleashing a cry to Agni, himself. "Spirits…YES!" She screamed, when Azula's tongue joined the action.

Ty Lee's vision saw red, her thoughts only on her best friend, her captor, her leader, her lover…her most beautiful, smartest, perfect, sweet, sugar cake as she felt everything around them burn.

 **Shorter update for the sake for this prompt. If you are wondering, this story time jumps from past to present with slight switches in characters, ie: Ty Lee, Azula and Mai. Hope you enjoyed! QueenTy. Quote added from _Don't Let Go_ -En Vogue**


	12. Beautiful Day

**_Funny how time goes by and blessings are missed in the wink of an eye._**

"Now, the heroes have returned!" Ty Lee tuned out the cheering crowd along with Lo and Li. There she was, emerging from the orange flames to stand before the crowd of admirers, subjects, peasants all gathered to celebrate their prince and princess's return from the earth kingdom. The moment could only be described with one word, the same word that tumbled through a young, circus performer's mind when she looked up from the front row at golden eyes that seemed to focus on her alone.

"Beautiful," whispered Ty Lee, softly in awe.

"Huh?" Grumbled Mai at her side, arms crossed. "What's beautiful?"

Ty Lee snapped out of her trance, remembering her friend's keen sense of hearing.

"This day, of course!" She exclaimed, happily. "Come on, Mai, you have to admit, it's great to be home on this beeeeeeeeeeeeeee-eautiful day!"

With that, she took an eyerolling Mai into her arms, proud of her quick wit.

"Oh, goodie," grumbled the young woman, shoving Ty Lee away when the crowd was moved to make way for the royal siblings by the palace guards.

Mai hurriedly thrust herself into the crown prince's arms, shooing away his drones of fangirls, cutting a malicious eye at On Ji, in particular.

"Smile, handsome, the day is beautiful".

Ty Lee made smooching noises at which Mai and Zuko glared at her before leaving for some needed privacy. The acrobat sighed, happy that her gloomy friend's aura was slightly less dingy now that the prince was home after three years.

"They were made for each other," commented the crown princess.

Ty Lee agreed with a giggle. "So, um, what are your plans, Beautiful?" She then heard Azula add.

"Huh?" Ty Lee turned wide eyes to her friend, wondering if she had heard incorrectly.

"Your plans," Azula said, clearing her throat, showing no sign that she meant anything different. "You know, the day is beautiful, why waste it?"

Ty Lee sighed, softly. She had no intentions of going home to her parents and sisters again. She had meant what she said on Ember Island.

"Well, avoiding my family like the plague," she answered, twisting her braid around on her finger with a shrug and pout, looking to the hordes of people leaving the homecoming ceremony.

Azula chuckled, surprising Ty Lee with the lovely sound. "Matched set plague, huh?"

Ty Lee smirked, coyly

"Well, I have a clear schedule, for now and since it's beautiful, this day and all, well…how does a royal palanquin ride sound?"

Ty Lee gasped excitedly.

"Completely cloaked, of course," Azula hurriedly added. "You know, to avoid your parents discovering you on this day…ahem".

Azula turned away when she was grasped by the wrist.

"How about a vacation? Just the two of us?" Offered Ty Lee. "No one will notice if we go back to Ember Island for the weekend".

Azula allowed a moment of vulnerability to show before shaking her head, "I have a war meeting coming up".

Ty Lee groaned. "Ugh, ok, well, a mini one?"

Azula's finger tapped her chin. Ty Lee noticed absently that the princess had all of her nails filed down recently. She was going to ask why when War Minister Qing approached the two from the side, making her cringe in disgust. She still held disdain for the man since their last encounter in the Fire Nation's prized drill. Azula looked to him with an inquisitive eye.

"Princess, a word regarding the invasion, if you will? Your father wishes for further details".

"I…" Began Azula, stammering as she looked to Ty Lee as if searching for answers.

"Maybe another day, Azula. I'm sure there will be more just as….ya' know, beautiful".

Azula nodded slowly before turning to follow the war minister. When she finally turned back to glance at where the acrobat had stood, Ty Lee had vanished, taking the day with her as an unexpected rain cloud loomed towards the bright sun.

 **Quote from _If I Could Turn Back the Hands of Time_ -R. Kelly.**


	13. Mistake

**_Once in a while, when it's good, it'll feel like it should._**

 ** _When you're all still around and you're still safe and sound._**

 ** _And you don't miss a thing. 'Til you cry, when you're driving away in the dark._**

 _Idiot, idiot, idiot!_

Thought Ty Lee walking from the stables in hopes that she did not look or have the scent of a cheating wife.

Her heart was in shambles within her trembling body. If she were totally honest with herself, she had fantasized about intimacy with the princess more times than she should care to remember. The fact that she had actually gone through with her repressed desire was both exhilarating and gut-wrenching. Azula was sure to get the wrong idea despite her fake indifference afterwards.

"Better than you imagined?" Asked the princess, pulling her tunic closed.

Thankfully, the purple marks were in places no one would dare set eyes on without her permission. Ty Lee had given her plenty when their positions reversed with Azula on her back against the stone flooring of the stable. The general's wife was mark free as Azula was careful not to leave proof of their impromptu affair anywhere on the former acrobat's skin, which was agonizing.

"What do you think?" Asked Ty Lee. "I can't count the times..." Her voice trailed which made the princess notice her forlorn face. "This will be the only time, Azula," Ty Lee choked out, her face red as she fought tears and a trembling lip. "I have a family".

"It doesn't have to be. My offer, the night of your wedding, still stands," Azula announced, holding the door open for her to exit the stable first.

Chinatsu slept peacefully at the far end. Ty Lee looked over the dragon. "She's beautiful," she commented, ignoring Azula's words, outstretching her hand to touch the animal's body.

"Don't get too close." Warned the princess. "I can't guarantee you'll leave unscathed". The comment caused Ty Lee's trance to break. She turned to meet Azula's gaze. The princess gave an awkward grin. "It was a joke, Ty," she added.

The woman nodded. "Right, well, I'll see you later," she said, walking briskly past Azula towards the arena seats.

"Wait!" Called the princess behind her.

Ty Lee sped up the pace. It was the first time she blatantly disobeyed Princess Azula and she feared the repercussions of either decision to stop or continue. Her feet did not stop until she had left enough distance between herself and the mistake in the stables. The crowd cheered on both sides of the arena when she was near the entrance to the grounds. Ty Lee looked about. It felt as though someone was watching her and knew of what she had done. She felt more naked than she had been with the princess.

Instead they were cheering on forty Whirling Dervishes standing in the middle of the arena grounds, their act commencing. The performance was breathtaking, making her grasp a pillar below the viewing audience and stare. Men and women dressed in full, pearl white, flowing gowns and tall, bucket-styled hats adorning their heads and hiding their hair, making them look very much like the typical matched set she once despised.

The traditional ceremony occurred often when dragons roamed the nation in plenty. It was meant not to instill a thrill in the crowd, like the former acrobat's circus acts, but to do the exact opposite. The crowd silenced as the performance reached its climax with the whirling men and women, turning at a speed that seemed inhuman, their heads tilted to the side, images blurring in the spiritual dance.

Morality was indoctrinated in the culture of her homeland and the performance, as beautiful and hypnotizing as it was, served the purpose of reminding the nobility of that fact. Ty Lee began to feel sick, unsure if the nausea was caused by the dizzying performance or the message behind it that seemed to directly coincide with what just took place between two, grown women in a dirty stable, one of whom was married, the other, one of the world's most feared political figures.

She rubbed the bridge of her nose, jumping when a muscular arm wrapped about her waist. Ty Lee's head popped up, surprised to see her husband smiling down at her. Though she struggled to calm her guilty nerves, Ty Lee managed to smile back, wryly.

"Maybe we could convince the fire lord to include your circus act, next time," suggested Mak.

Chuckling nervously, she shook her head. "Now that my sisters have a part, I'd rather burn alive," she answered, kicking herself for the terrible joke before accepting a sweet kiss when Mak leaned down.

A flash of blue caught her attention, making Ty Lee's eyes follow where Azula led Chinatsu by the reigns to stand next to Zuko, who sat atop his brilliant, red dragon, Druk. Golden eyes stared her down, making Ty Lee snake her arms around her husband's neck and close her eyes, blocking out Azula's dangerously dark green aura and deepen her kiss with Mak.

 _A mistake._ She reminded herself.

"Mmm," groaned Mak when they parted. "Have you been eating pomegranates?"

Ty Lee blushed deeply. _No, but Azula has._ Her mind answered him. Instead she licked her lips and said, "Just increasing my chances for half on another baby," she teased.

Mak's eyes twinkled. "Twins?" He joked.

"Never," groaned Ty Lee, playfully.

Taking the general's offered elbow, she allowed him to lead her to the stands, far away from her mistake that should and would NEVER happen again.

#

Azula's eyes followed the general and his wife as they joined the fire lady in the crowded stands. Her fingers sparked, grasping Chinatsu's attention. The dragon let go a small, blue flame in answer, making Druk growl at his sibling. Zuko's eyebrow rose.

"She just burped, Zuzu," Azula stated, passively to her brother, stepping into the stirrup Ty Lee had held not long ago, to lift herself onto the dragon's back. "Keep your pet in check and this will go smoothly, as promised".

Zuko scoffed. "Heads up," he warned, nodding towards the reporter approaching to his sister's left. "That's the gossip column guy, Guangli".

Azula narrowed her eyes, looking the man up and down. "I doubt this competition is scandalous enough for the likes of you, Peasant," she greeted, coldly. "I recommend that you piss off while you still can".

Guangli smiled, a cigar trapped between his teeth, at the corner of his mouth. "To be fair, Princess, I would have to disagree. This place has numerous hiding places for the occasional affair or other wonderfully immoral acts, don't you agree?"

Azula raised an eyebrow though completely forgot the comment when the gong sounded for hers and Zuko's performance. Snapping her reins, she launched Chinatsu in time with her brother, straight into the air to perform the dancing dragon atop their respective dragon's back in tandem.

 **Quotes: _Stop this Train_ -John Mayer, All characters belong to BRYKE! QTZ**


	14. Monster

Something felt off about today. Not that it was different from any other day. Frankly, it was no different from any other morning when Ty Lee opened her eyes to take in the morning rays. Her bed was cold and empty as usual. Mak had left hours ago to report to the nearby fire palace. Her children could be heard giggling outside the window in the estate's garden. The smell of ash tea filled her nostrils, along with morning tea buns left by the hired help. Nothing was out of place.

Ty Lee knew what to expect when she opened her eyes and was not surprised to see her breakfast on the night stand. Always the same routine. Predictable and just as she had envisioned after she and her military husband exchanged vows. This was her calling. Unlike many other members who had closely served the former regime, she had been allowed continued freedom and granted forgiveness for her part in the Hundred Years' War. It had not been by choice to participate, but...

 _Stop._ Ty Lee reprimanded herself. _Don't think about_...

Yet, it was too late. Before she was fully awake and aware, Ty Lee had buried her face into her favorite soft, plush, pink pillow. Despite its color, it reminded the mother of her best friend's hair. She bit her lip, eyes sealed shut, rubbed her cheek along the fabric, and fantasized about waking with the princess in her bed. The thought made her shiver with desire before guilt found its way in her mind.

Sighing, Ty Lee decided to force herself from bed. Her open, sheer white nightgown clung to her shape as she slipped her feet into her peach colored slippers. Unfortunately, there were no firebenders to light the lanterns on her bedroom's walls. Thankfully, the sun's natural light was enough to illuminate the room.

Skipping breakfast, Ty Lee headed for the adjacent wash room. Mak's musk still lingered despite her wavering thoughts on the princess she had left the evening before. She could not rinse away the guilt she felt for what had happened before the dragon performance nor its evening encore. The latter, was forever drilled into her perfectlittle _Ty Lee World_ , as she saw the tell-tale signs of a broken heart all over Azula's face. It was a wonder that she lived to see a new morning.

 _Azula and Fire Lord Zuko put on a historical performance in homage to the Dragon of the West as everyone who was anyone witnessed their dragons soar about the arena._

 _Azula's dragon, Chinatsu, naturally stole the show as the rarity of seeing any dragon was minimal compared to seeing a_ blue _one. Like Azula's flames, Chinatsu was a marvel that wowed the crowd as she swirled around Druk in an ancient, well-choreographed Agni Khai dance, in commeration of the settlement between the royal siblings steering them._

 _After the show, the siblings were showered with praise by the attendees which included the avatar, his wife, Katara, her brother, Sokka and Ty Lee's former captain. The blind earthbender, Toph, unfortunately could not attend with her duties in the newly developed Republic City._

 _Ty Lee followed close between the fire lady and her husband with their children several feet ahead of them. Ursa, her family and the honoree, retired General Iroh had been the first to arrive onto the sandy arena. Although, her mother was there, Azula's eyes seemed to be glued on the former acrobat, who looked everywhere, but at the mistake she had made._

 _"How does it feel to be back in your homeland, Princess Azula?" Ty Lee heard the popular gossip columnist, Guangli ask. "Surely, it must have been difficult to return to the palace after your failed coronation"._

 _Ty Lee felt the tension from those around her as a result of the man's loaded question. The princess, however, surprised everyone with a royal smile that Ty Lee was unsure was real or false._

 _Still atop, his dragon, the fire lord's head jerked in the man's direction, his jawline moving subtly along with linear lips._

 _"The fire nation has moved on from the past into an era of peace and kindness," stated the princess regally. Rubbing Chinatsu's bowed neck, she continued, "The performance was a testament to our nation's newfound goals. The regime stands strong and will continue to well into the future"._

 _The arena was silent for several moments, except for Ty Lee's rambunctious children_ _cackling in awe of the mystical dragons inches from their innocent eyes._

 _All other eyes focused on the fire lord, who looked quite surprised as well._

 _"Ahem," Zuko began, rubbing the small stubble on his chin. "Yes, the regime stands strong," he added, at which the crowd roared in response._

 _After most people dispersed, leaving a small circle of family, friends and "The GAang" surrounding the fire lord and his sister, the fire lord greeted his uncle and mother with strong hugs. Azula lingered behind, obviously unwilling to join. Ty Lee took the opportunity to saunter up to the princess, giving a respectful bow._

 _"Did you enjoy the performance?" Azula asked._

 _Ty Lee could not stop the mischevious grin on her face._

 _"Yes, perhaps a more...private encore is due," she answered slyly._

 _Azula returned the smirk. "You are always welcomed to the palace". she stated, catching the hint._

 _Ty Lee giggled in spite of herself. Azula had a strange ability to make her melt in the most intimate places._

 _"Am I missing the fun?" Both girls looked to the fire lady, approaching with hidden hands across her torso._

 _Mai's robes were of the best fabric and Ty Lee felt proud to see her friend so poised and regal._

 _"I could think of more fun activities than this," answered the princess, handing the reigns over to a stable worker. "Careful," she directed at the boy, no older than 16. "She is not fond of men and be sure to torch the edges of her food before feeding her or she'll torch you along with it"._

 _The boy visibly gulped and took the reigns with shaky hands and a near stumbling bow._

 _"Yes, Princess," he said in a cracked voice._

 _Azula gave a loving pat, watching the boy lead the dragon away. She then locked her gorgeous, golden eyes back on her childhood friends._

 _"I could use a drink"._

 _Mai nodded. "Already taken care of. I told the servants to meet us in the parlor with the strongest spirits. With Lady Ursa here, we could both use one"._

 _The girls chuckled in unison. They all knew how overbearing the fire lord's mother could be when it came to her precious son. This made Ty Lee remember her senses._

 _"Well, Mak will have the children alone. I shouldn't be long"._

 _Both Azula and Mai's faces held a mutual grimace at the statement._

 _"Surely, you are not linked by ball and chain, Ty," said the fire lady. "The general will be fine"._

 _"Yes, I am sure the floors can survive a night of not being washed," added Azula with a chuckle._

 _Ty Lee rolled her eyes_ _at the jest._

 _Mai gave a sigh. "Well, if you change your mind, you know where we are. Good evening". With that, the fire lady glided away to join her husband and in-laws._

 _Suddenly feeling uncomfortable, Ty Lee turned to follow suit, when her wrist was grabbed with a firm tug. She turned to face Azula, confused._

 _"Come, I want to show you something". Before Ty Lee could reject, she added. "Your husband and kids will be fine, just come with me"._

 _The former acrobat sighed and decided to follow the woman away from the arena into the palace courtyard. From there, Azula led them to a hidden entryway that revealed several steps. Ty Lee could not remember exploring this as a child and wondered just where they would end up._

 _The corridor was instantly lit to reveal a blue hallway as Azula lit the webbed sconces along the walls with a flick of her wrist.Ty Lee felt a trickle of fear down her spine as they moved deeper up the steps. Azula must have sensed her fear as she stopped to look back._

 _"Trust me, no one knows about this place. It once belonged to the fire lady before my grandfather, Azulon, Sozin's wife. It hasn't been touched in years"._

 _Ty Lee grasped the woman's offered hand and continued, feeling relief when they came to a stop. Azula flicked her wrist once more to reveal a circular room that looked as though it had come out of a storybook. A single, large bed with a golden headboard and the fire lady's insignia was in the middle of the room. An untouched vanity and ancient, priceless armour were on either side, along with a wash basin._

 _"The fire lady used this room for years before Sozin's wife, a woman who remains unnamed," Azula explained, staring towards the bed. "She was killed in this very room due to her...infidelities"._

 _Ty Lee swallowed hard._

 _"It was a horrible death by fire and beheading. Luckily, she was the only flammable thing in here, therefore the place remained in tact"._

 _"Why are telling me this?" Asked Ty Lee, letting go of Azula's hand._

 _Golden eyes caught hers. "Just a little history lesson. Nothing to worry about, of course"._

 _Ty Lee was not sure about the woman's words._ I need to get out of here. _She told herself._

 _Azula, however, had other plans. Ruby lips embraced Ty Lee's plump ones in a seductive kiss that turned into a tussle of tongues. Ty Lee closed her eyes and wrapped her arms around the slightly shorter woman, deepening the kiss with a longing moan as Azula hands squeezed her waist._

 _Between gasps for air, Azula continued to speak, her voice at peak, sultry levels that drove the mother insane._

 _"Nothing...will...come...between us," ensured the princess, making Ty Lee kiss her harder._

 _Clothing was loss in an instant and the old bed creaked with age, though the sheets were still soft against Ty Les's naked back. Azula's lips found her neck and suckled hard. Ty Lee answered in high pitched gasps, hands clutching the woman's ebony hair._

 _Everything felt like a dream. Ty Lee's body was blessed by the goddess, who did not miss a single place in her roaming kisses, skipping her heated center, to work her tongue down each leg before moving back up. Ty Lee was soaked by the time she reached her...there._

 _Instead of diving, Azula stopped to admire the treasure before her, the predatory gaze Ty Lee had not seen since Sozin's war shown in her eyes._

 _"Mine," Azula stated. "You will always be mine"._

 _Ty Lee gasped with a shake when she felt a finger touch her lightly on the thigh. Azula had her under a powerful spell that she did not want to break. Feeling the flexibility of her youth, Ty Lee spread wide for the woman as she devoured all the mess she made._

Ty Lee felt tears well in her eyes. It was more than just sex in that forbidden room. The women seemed to be in near perfect sync. Much different from their first time in the stables. She could actually feel the princess's desire for her and only her. The feeling had been mutual despite her loving husband. She knew she needed to stop whatever was developing between them sooner than later.

Emerging from her room, the mother greeted the paid servants in her household. Thankfully, the children were still playing in the yard when a pamphlet caught her eye. Ty Lee began to pay no mind, when she noticed Azula's naked back on the cover for all to see. The picture was poor quality as the new flash cameras were in the recently developed stages, however, it was obviously the side profile of the princess's face in mid-coitus with an "unknown" woman's legs wrapped about her hips.

Ty Lee remembered the scene from their tryst now a week in the past in the stables. Who could've seen them? Were they followed and watched the whole time?

 _Oh Agni, Azula!_ She thought on what was going on in the princess's mind.

As quick as lightning, Ty Lee was dressed in casual clothing dashing towards the palace. The place felt eerily cold for the peak of the summer in the Fire Nation. Soldiers were at their usual posts though they were not as lax as usual.

She did not have trouble entering, despite this and was immediately greeted by Zuko and Azula's younger sister, Kiyi.

"Ty Lee!" Squealed the preteen. "Glad you're here. Everyone's acting so weird around here".

 _I can imagine._ Thought Ty Lee.

The younger girl led her into the palace.

"Azula will be happy you're here. She and Zuzu have been arguing for days".

Before Ty Lee could respond, her name was called as if on cue. Turning, she bowed to the fire lady as expected. Mai waved away the gesture.

"Mai, where's--"

"No time. Kiyi, could you find Izumi for me? Her nurses are well on their way out the door for losing her again. Check the palace gardens," commanded the fire lady.

"On it!" said Kiyi, hurrying away.

Ty Lee's concern must have shown on her face as Mai followed with.

"And you. Come, you're late for the bridal tea party and dress fitting".

"Wha--" began Ty Lee, allowing herself to be dragged by the elbow towards the royal ladies' parlor.

It was there that Ty Lee's mind caught up with what was happening. She was speechless as Azula spun around on her heels to face her. The princess wore a look of solemn sadness from her place on a pedestal. The golden, flowing gown enhancing her waistline and flaring out in a seemingly mile long train stole the show however.

"P-Princess," greeted Ty Lee in awe.

Azula gave a curt nod, her eyes moving toward the man capturing quick photos of her. Ty Lee followed her eyes to lay on the gossip columnist.

 _Was he the one? But how?_ She wondered.

With his cigar dangling from his lips, the man gave her a shrewd smile.

"Ah, Lady Ty Lee, what a pleasure," he said, closing the space between them. "Do you have any _special_ words for the next edition featuring the bride?"

"Bride?" Asked Ty Lee, before a sharp jab in her side from her nearby friend caused her to clear her throat. "Oh! Um, no, well. I wish the bride the best of course!" She answered as cheerily as she could manage.

The man's eyes narrowed as if he was expecting answer. "Well, this is quite sudden, as I am sure you know".

Ty Lee shrugged. "Well, I am sure the princess knows what she is doing".

The man gave a nod and stepped away to take more pictures.

"This is the one," Ty Lee heard Azula say.

Ursa, who had been discussing other gowns with a servant jerked her head in her daughter direction. "Really? But it is the first you've tried on. Perhaps--"

"It's fine, Mother". Assured the princess with an eye roll.

Ty Lee looked to Ursa and another older woman, who exchanged glances behind Azula's back.

"Well, my son will adore you in anything you wear, Sweetie," the woman added.

"I am sure he will be quite busy getting me out of it to admire the beauty," Azula chirped, making Ty Lee clench her teeth in sudden jealousy.

The young mother wanted out of that room as soon as possible, yet Mai found it completely appropriate to tell her about the wedding arrangements and how she will now be the bridesmaid to the woman who made her heart skip three beats and her mind flutter whenever she uttered a word.

 _But what about us?_ Ty Lee wonders, watching Azula pose for the photographs.

#

"There is no us," Azula announced when they were alone in the forbidden bedroom. "As you know, same sex relationships are illegal here. It is not proper in the eyes of the gods".

Ty Lee wanted to scream some sense into the woman, had she not been glowing from the intense afterglow from a climatic finish. Instead she traced the fine hair between Azula's breasts lightly in circles enjoying the cool silk sheets around their bodies.

"But we still have this place. We could always just come here. We would be two married women in public and enjoy each other as we wish," continued Azula as if reasoning with herself. "This way, you will always be mine".

Ty Lee sighed. "Marriage is sacred, Azula. Besides, someone will eventually find out. That was a close call with gossip guy".

Azula kissed her forehead. "You've grown wise with age. I have taken care of that problem anyway".

At Ty Lee's curious face, she pointed to the vanity. Atop it, sat a single head absent a body. The famed gossip columnist stared back at the pair with a lifeless that burned into her retenas forever. She quickly looked away and to the woman in bed with her.

"You know, Sozin had quite a way of dealing with dealing traitors. The man won't be missed I'm sure".

"Azula!" Gasped Ty Lee, pure fear returning to her body as she remembered exactly whom it was she had begun to fall for.

Seeing Azula like this brought back memories of the heartless, power hungry firebender in her prime at 14. She shivered, moving closer to the princess instead of away, as if to protect her. Was Azula slipping again?

"It's not murder," Azula commented when she noted the silence. "He tried to come between us. So he was dealt with. Completely justifiable". Her piercing eyes stared through the stone ceiling.

Ty Lee said nothing, swallowing the unsettling bile and burying her face in Azula's hair like she longed to do since that morning.


End file.
